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Category: Cultural studies

  • clvd midterm

    Attached Files (PDF/DOCX): clvdmidterm.docx

    Note: Content extraction from these files is restricted, please review them manually.

  • History Question

    Are we losing our humanity in the digital age? Critically evaluate this claim with reference to impacts on empathy, attention spans, community formation, and conceptions of personhood. Support your argument using evidence from at least two scholarly perspectives or key thinkers (e.g., Sherry Turkle, recent neuroscience studies on digital media, or philosophical discussions of AI and human dignity).

    • Key Sources/Thinkers to Suggest (or Require) in the Question

      • Sherry Turkle (Alone Together, Reclaiming Conversation) classic on how digital devices hinder deep empathy and presence.
      • Studies on empathy/attention decline (e.g., correlations between heavy social media use and lower cognitive empathy; shortened attention spans from multitasking/notifications).
      • Philosophical angles: debates on personhood in AI/digital contexts (e.g., dignity, authenticity vs. simulation).
      • Balanced views: OECD’s How’s Life in the Digital Age? (positive productivity gains + risks like disinformation/cyber-bullying).
      • Recent concerns: neuroscience on reduced face-to-face synchrony/emotional attunement; “humanity deficit” from over-prioritizing tech innovation.

      This question encourages critical thinking, use of evidence, and avoids being too simplistic. It fits history & culture by examining societal shifts, values, and what “humanity” means across time.If you’d like it adjusted (e.g., more emphasis on African perspectives, AI specifically, or tied to a particular course text), or want sample thesis structures/outline ideas, just let me know!

  • Cultural Studies Question

    Please choose from the Italian films we have discussed or watched in class this first part of the semester and write a film analysis with a word limit of 700 to 800 words. The films that you may select from are:

    1. The Capture of Rome
    2. Cabiria 1860
    3. Many Wars Ago
    4. Obsession
    5. Scius
    6. Rome Open City
    7. Bicycle Thieves

    Films you are NOT allowed to write about:

    1. The Godfather
    2. Luca
    3. The Great Dictator

    Please be sure to make this a formal analysis (academic writing) that touches upon the terminology you have been taught throughout the course, such as cultural analysis, motifs, cinematography, mise-en-scene, etc… It is imperative that you use time stamps when discussing a scene.

    Do not write personal anecdotes of what we have done in the class, such as, “before this class I didn’t know anything about Italian film, when we talked about the film in class, this is a huge part of the film, etc..”. This is a formal academic essay. Please make sure to use the textbook Writing About Movies as a guide to help you write your essay.

    Please make sure that you have a thesis statement in the first body paragraph so that I know what you are arguing or proving in your essay. Please make sure to refer to the readings we have been assigned this semester. You may use any of these sources to support your argument or you may research your own. When using your sources make sure to write, “according to, in the reading …, etc”. You do not need a works cited page, but if you would like to add your sources at the end of your essay you may do so.

    Requirements: 700-800 words

  • hw

    complete the 4 promps (roughly 700 words total)

    Attached Files (PDF/DOCX): HOMEWORK.docx

    Note: Content extraction from these files is restricted, please review them manually.

  • hw

    complete the 4 promps (roughly 700 words total)

    Attached Files (PDF/DOCX): HOMEWORK.docx

    Note: Content extraction from these files is restricted, please review them manually.

  • Culture and discrimination in “Love Is Never Silent” and per…

    Goal: Identify and analyze how diverse experiences and/or cultures shape human behavior, thought, and expression. Movie: Love Is Never Silent (watch before writing) Format & Submission Requirements Essay style (23 pages) 11-point font Spell-checked and grammar-checked Submit through Blackboard (BB) What to Cover (answer all prompts to show awareness of different perspectives) Culture in the film: Describe the culture of a hearing child raised by deaf parents, based on what you observe in the movie. Comparison to your childhood: Explain similarities and differences between your childhood and Margarets childhood, focusing on how those differences affected the home environment and communication opportunities. Your own cultural experience: Identify one event/experience/practice from your environment or cultural background and explain how it shaped who you are today. Discrimination today: The film shows discrimination (and perceived discrimination) linked to sign language (1930s1950s). Describe a modern example of language-based discrimination, and explain what you could do if you witnessed itinclude a specific example of how youd respond.

  • culture as#1

    ORIGINAL ESSAY PROMPT

    Using the text as the primary source, students will write a 500 word MLA-style essay from a cross-cultural perspective exploring the ways in which culture influences personal life transitions.

    FURTHER EXPLANATION

    You should write an essay discussing how culture influences personal life transitions (for example, marriage, childhood to adulthood) by using the assigned readings from this Unit. A cross-cultural perspective means how different cultures view or practice personal life transitions. Thus, you should discuss how culture influences personal life transitions by comparing/contrasting different cultures we read about this Unit.

    RUBRIC

    Please review the rubric below to see the expectations for the essay .

    Essays will be graded with the following in mind:

    Introduction paragraph that introduces the topic and leads into the thesis. The thesis is clearly stated. Thesis should mention how culture influences personal life transitions. (20/20 points)

    Body paragraphs that make clear points to support the thesis. (10/10 points)

    The body paragraphs are supported with further explanation and examples that illustrate the point in each paragraph. Examples should be used from the assigned readings as well as personal examples. (10/10 points)

    A conclusion that restates the thesis and sums up the major points of the essay. (20/20 points)

    Grammar, punctuation, and prose style. (15/15 points)

    Appropriate length (about 500 words) and compliance with assignment instructions. (5/5 points)

  • Journal: White Cultural Groups

    Learning Objectives

    The purpose of this assignment is to encourage reading and discussion before class that can be continued in class.

    • Communicate knowledge, facts, suggestions, and emotions clearly and effectively while using cultural/global competence.
    • Work on communication and writing skills.

    Write answers to the prompts. Make interesting and important points in considering culture and healthcare

    Prompt: Compose a 3-2-1 post based on screenshots from book.

    • 3 things that you found interesting in the reading.
    • 2 things you learned from the reading.
    • 1 question that you still have.

    You may choose to write this as a list or bullet points instead of a paragraph.

    Important:

      • Take the time to think about your answers and make a draft of what you plan to write.
      • While you are writing the post, the Canvas editor does NOT autosave the content and you can lose an unsaved post.
      • Proofread your post before submitting for content and well as grammar (correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, etc.). NO AI USAGE IS ALLOWED. Work is checked for AI using turnitin.com and will be voided if AI USAGE is detected.

    Requirements: na

  • culture as#1

    ORIGINAL ESSAY PROMPT

    Using the text as the primary source, students will write a 500 word MLA-style essay from a cross-cultural perspective exploring the ways in which culture influences personal life transitions.

    FURTHER EXPLANATION

    You should write an essay discussing how culture influences personal life transitions (for example, marriage, childhood to adulthood) by using the assigned readings from this Unit. A cross-cultural perspective means how different cultures view or practice personal life transitions. Thus, you should discuss how culture influences personal life transitions by comparing/contrasting different cultures we read about this Unit.

    RUBRIC

    Please review the rubric below to see the expectations for the essay .

    Essays will be graded with the following in mind:

    Introduction paragraph that introduces the topic and leads into the thesis. The thesis is clearly stated. Thesis should mention how culture influences personal life transitions. (20/20 points)

    Body paragraphs that make clear points to support the thesis. (10/10 points)

    The body paragraphs are supported with further explanation and examples that illustrate the point in each paragraph. Examples should be used from the assigned readings as well as personal examples. (10/10 points)

    A conclusion that restates the thesis and sums up the major points of the essay. (20/20 points)

    Grammar, punctuation, and prose style. (15/15 points)

    Appropriate length (about 500 words) and compliance with assignment instructions. (5/5 points)

  • Midterm Assignment: Cultural Reflection

    In this course, we have explored how we do not see the world as it is, but rather through lenses shaped by our environment and history. This assignment asks you to apply two core concepts from this course to your own life:

    1. Kulturbrille (Culture-Glasses): A term from Franz Boas. It refers to the cultural glasses we wear that make our own way of life or knowledge systems seem natural, while making different ways of life seem strange, wrong, or even invisible.

    2. Coloniality: A concept from decolonial theory describing how the power structures, hierarchies, and ways of knowing developed during the early modern period still shape our world today. Unlike colonialism, which refers to the era of direct political rule, coloniality is the ongoing mindset and structural reality that survives the end of colonial administrations.

    Requirements

    Choose one of the prompts below and write a 1,500-word analytical essay. Your goal is to identify a specific aspect of your life or a system you interact with and analyze it through the lens of Kulturbrille and Coloniality. Your reflection should not be longer than your analysis. Submit your work as a .doc or .docx

    All essays must be within 15% of this wordcount (between 1275 and 1725), exclusive of the works cited section. Students must have no fewer than 4 academic works cited (in-text with a bibliography/sources section) and properly formatted, using the form of academic citation that you are most comfortable with. The primary text and supplemental articles used in the teaching of this course may not be used. Your research is expected to extend beyond the course materials.

    It is important to be concise in your work, and to work within prescribed boundaries. Failure to comply with one of those rules will result in a loss of 50% of the overall grade. Failure to comply with both rules will result in an automatic zero (0).

    The use of AI in the generation of your work is prohibited, any use detected by your professor will result in an automatic zero (0) for the grade.

    (Late submissions are not permitted)

    Prompt 1: The Standards of Professionalism

    Reflect: Identify a professional or formal setting you have participated in. What specific traits (speech, dress, grooming, or etiquette) were categorized as professional in that space? How does your own background influence your comfort with or distance from those standards?

    Analyze: Examine how certain aesthetic or linguistic norms became globalized. How do these standards reflect coloniality by prioritizing specific cultural traits as “universal” while marginalizing others as “particular” or “unprofessional”?

    Prompt 2: The Ideal Body

    Reflect: Examine a specific health or beauty standard present in your community or industry. How do you personally relate to this standard? Do you perceive it as a neutral, biological fact, or a cultural preference?

    Analyze: Research the historical development of these standards. How does coloniality continue to rank human bodies based on proximity to a specific ideal? Discuss how these hierarchies are maintained in modern healthcare or media.

    Prompt 3: Formal Education

    Reflect: Consider a specific method of learning or assessment you have encountered (e.g., standardized testing, the physical layout of a classroom, or the hierarchy between teacher and student). How does your background shape your perspective on whether this is an effective or “correct” way to learn?

    Analyze: Research the origins of modern institutional schooling. Discuss how these systems were exported or imposed during the early modern era to create a specific type of citizen or worker. How does the dominance of this model marginalize alternative ways of sharing and producing knowledge?

    Prompt 4: Healing

    Reflect: When you encounter a health crisis, how do you determine which forms of knowledge (e.g., clinical, traditional, holistic, or spiritual) are trustworthy? What leads you to categorize a practice as “science” versus “alternative”?

    Analyze: Examine how, through colonial hierarchies of knowledge, Western biomedicine was positioned as the sole rational science during the early modern period. How did this positioning lead to the delegitimization of indigenous or non-Western healing systems? Discuss the power dynamics involved in how medical knowledge is validated today.

    Prompt 5: Family

    Reflect: Analyze a definition of family or household used by a government or social institution (e.g., for taxes, immigration, or housing). How does this definition align or conflict with your lived experience of kinship?

    Analyze: Research how the Western nuclear family model was exported and enforced globally. How does the continued legal and social prioritization of this unit reflect coloniality by rendering communal or extended kinship networks “invisible” or “abnormal” in the eyes of the law?

    Prompt 6: The Standardized Clock

    Reflect: Look at your daily or yearly schedule. Which cultural or religious markers are integrated into the “default” calendar of your society, and which require special permission to observe? How does this impact your sense of belonging?

    Analyze: Explore how the universalization of the Gregorian calendar and the industrial work week functions as a mechanism of coloniality. How does this system force diverse populations to synchronize with a specific cultural and economic rhythm?

    Prompt 7: The Cartography of Power

    Reflect: Think about a map or GPS tool you use. How does it influence your sense of which places are “central” or “close” and which are “remote” or “peripheral”?

    Analyze: Research the role of cartography in establishing global hierarchies. How does the continued use of specific map projections or naming conventions reflect coloniality by reinforcing a worldview created in the early modern period?

    Prompt 8: Nature

    Reflect: Consider a piece of land you are familiar with. Do you view it primarily as a resource to be managed, a property to be owned, or a living entity with its own rights? Where did those views come from?

    Analyze: Examine the shift from relational land systems to the modern model of private property. How does the persistence of this model today reflect coloniality in environmental conservation or urban planning?